Nail holding tool



July 19, 1932. T. A. SMITH NAIL HOLDING TOOL Filed Jan. '7, 1931 INVENTOR. BY %m/%M A TTORNEY.

Patented July 19, 1932 1 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFics THOMAS A. SMITH, OF OVERLAND, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR To HALE/RY J. HAGEN, OF

ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI NAIL HOLDING TOOL Application filed January 7, 1931. Serial No. 507,140.

This invention relates to certain new and firmly in a suitable recess in the end of a' useful improvements in nail holding tools, solid bar, and automatically retain the inthe peculiarities of which will be hereinafter sorted nail in its proper axial position so it fully described and claimed. is not liable to be accidentally dislodged in The main objects of my invention are first, handling the tool while starting the nail in 55 to provide a simple useful tool to hold short concrete or other material. Furthermore, nails or like articles while starting them into my tool is adapted to nails of difierent size concrete or other material; second, to proand shape of head as will be hereinafter vide for holding nails of different size of more fully described.

head; third, to provide suitable bearing sur- Referring to the drawing, the numeral 1 ()0 face in such a tool for starting nails having designates a solid bar preferably of tool steel fins or slight projections or a rounding surand cylindrical or other suitable shape adaptface on the head instead of the usual fiat ed to be held in the hand of the user. Its outer surface; fourth, to hold the nail firmly in end 2 is rounded or tapered for impact of a position without the aid of the operators hammer in starting a nail, While its opposite 65 hand after inserting the nail in the tool, so end is provided with a suitable full circular it retains its position automatically; and recess for reception of and enclosing a nail other points herein described and claimed. head. This recess is preferably multiple in In the accompanying drawing in which diameter and depth to accommodate nails-of like reference numerals indicate correspondcorresponding size and thieknessof head. 70

m t Thus the outer recess 3 is larger and shallow- Fig. 1 represents a plan view of a tool exer than the inner recess 4:. The larger diamemplifying my invention; eter is suited to the reception of a nail with a Fig. 2, an end view of the same; flat head 5 while the inner recess 4 is suited to Fig. 3, a partial vertical section on the a nail 6 with a smaller but thicker head, as 75- central axis X of Fig. 1 and the balance in shown in Fig. 4.

side view; On the outer surface of this bar is mounted Fig. 4, a partial section of one end of the a plate slide 7, preferably curved to corretool showing a concrete stub nail held in spond with and lie fiat against said bar. A-

starting position to drive through sheet metal finger pull 8 for operating the slide is prointo concrete; and vided at the end or elsewhere, while the other Fig. 5, a similar view showing anail with a end of the slide is bent over opposite the relarger fiat head for holding expanded metal cessed end of the bar and forms a fork 9 havlatch to concrete. ing .an opening of substantially the diameter 35 To overcome the difficulty of holding short of the nail, so that the fork will engage the nails with the fingers while starting them, underside of the nail head when the slide is various devices have been employed. Such adjusted, and thus hold the nail firmly in the former devices, such as spring clips of varecess.

rious forms engaging the sides of the nails Fastening means for securing this slide to usually require to be held by the hand to this bar preferably consist of a fastening maintain engagement with the nail after its screw 10 passing through a slot 11 near the insertion in the holder, otherwise it is liable forked end, and into a threaded pocket 12 in to be disengaged from the holder. Also other the side of the bar as shown in Fig. 3.

forms comprise a tubular holder with a Since the underside of the fastening screw 4 and are more or less complicated. responding to the solid bar, the head of the My nail holder provides a simple effective fastening screw will frictionally engage the and very useful starting tool for short nails outside of the slide at the ends of the slot, and or other articles and is adapted to hold the be out of contact with the slide at the sides plunger mounted therein for hammer impact is fiat as shown, and the slide is curved corinserted nail by the under side of its head of the slot as shown in Fig. 3. This fricmo tional engagement of the fastening screw at the ends of the travel of the slide as indicated in Fig. 3, tends to hold the slide in its adjusted positions at both ends of its travel. For further security in maintaining adjustment of the slide automatically, I provide a springbelowthe slide and frictionally engaging the underside of the. slide. This spring is preferably a coil spring 14 mounted in a pocket 15" inthe side of' the bar beyond the slot, and further insures maintaining the adjusted position of the slide at both ends of its travel. Thus when adjusted outward as indicated in Fig. 3, the nail can be readily inserted in the corresponding recess for the head, theforked end .will rigidly engagethe underside of-the nail head and hold it firmly intheaxialline of the bar, without further pressure of the operators hand upon the slide. Thisireducesthe liability of the inserted nail being. accidentally dislodged While placing itin its/driving position, and insures its desired entranceinto theconerete or other material under the impact of the hammer of the operatoron the end-.2.

SOmenails-have heads that are provided witlr.fins.;or.-slightprojections, or a conical or.-rounded surface, and I therefore form the innerrecesse' with a concave center surface 16; in-the central axis of the bar, which providesfor such projections and yet allows firm contact ofthe periphery of the recess with the outer. periphery. of-the nail head. Thus a thic-kheaded nail, Fig. 4, is held by the forked end :firmly inlinewith the central axis of the bar, andaiflattened or curved head of larger diameter is..similarlyheld by the outer and larger-.re.c.ess.3,.as shown'in Fig. 5.

In:-.use, the tool and the nail inserted therein .isgappliedeto the sheet metal, or other article to be fastened, and started byhammer impactrinto. concrete for halfits length, for example.- Then .the slide is. adjusted outward.

and thfiatQOLllS. freed from the nail, allowing thezoperatorqto. drive the nail home to its fasterringsposition' by. direct impact of the nail without :the. further aid .of the tool.

Ldonotrlimitrmyself to. the exact construction shown, .eXceptas by the appended claims.

I; claim:

1;. Atnail holding'tool comprising a solid.

cylindricalbar. adapted for hammer impact on one end and recessed for a nail head on.

inits adjusted position, substantially as described.

2. A nail holding tool.comprising a solid.

cylindricalbar; adapted for hammer impact a plate slide mounted on said bar having a forked end opposite said recess, a fastening screw passing through said slot into the bar, the underside of the screw head being flat to bear on the slide at the ends of the slot and clear the slide when intermediate of-the ends of the slot, and;a1spring.-mounted below said slide and tending to increase frictional engagement in the movement of said slide as limited by said slot, substantially" as" described.

3- A. nail holding tool comprising a solid cylindrical bar adapted for hammer impact on one end-.having -at the opposite end a recess in the axis of the bar for reception of a nailhead, and .having-transversepockets adjacent to. .the A recessed :iend a in i the; top: side: of: the. bar, onev pocketbeing-threadedafor-a fase. tening screw, a plateslide.:,having aefinger;

pulland a forked: end opposing saidarecess scribed.

In testimony Whereof-Ihaveafiixed my sig.

nature;

'lI-IOMASa-A;v SMITH; 

